No horse can match up to an appaloosa. Bred by the Nez Perce, a tribe of Native Americans who inhabited the northwest, the appaloosa has the most heart, and spots, of any horse in the world.
The appaloosa came around in the 1700's and changed the Nez Perce tribes for the better. They became great hunters because of the mobility the horses provided.
The word Appaloosa came from "A Palouse Horse". It was shortened by the Spanish soldiers to "appaloosa horse", and is now know simply as "the appaloosa".
The appaloosa aided Chief Joseph in his attempted escape to Canada. The horses blended in to their surroundings and understood when to hold still and when to go all out, making it almost impossible for cavalry men on grade horses to catch them. The appaloosas were bred to be very hardy, and could gallop for long distances and travel through the entire night without strain. This made the cavalry's job to catch the Native Americans even harder. Calvary horses just couldn't compete with the appaloosa. Chief Joseph finally surrendered, just miles from Canada, but it was not because of his appaloosa.
The Nez Perce surrendered their horses to the cavalry, and the quality the tribes once had in their horses was lost, but was recovered through selective breeding years later.
The appaloosa has a reputation of being tough, and they live up to it. An appaloosa by the name of Kawliga Prince, affectionately known as Clyde, showed that he could deal with anything. Clyde came down with a mild colic one day. Three days later, Clyde wasn't any better. His owners took him to Cornell Veterinary School as a last resort. Nearly 75% of his throat and 70% of his stomach had ulcers. He had shown no signs of illness until three days prior. Ultimately, he recovered, and lived until the age of 25.
Appaloosas today are wonderful horses and have a wonderful temperament. They are strong, calm and willing, and great as a child's first horse, or a top dressage or event horse.
This article has been published in the newspaper of this horse game
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